Gravesite Vases Stolen from Local Cemetery

A few years ago there was a rash of thefts of gravesite vases at Murdoch-Linwood Cemetery in southwest Cedar Rapids. Those stolen included the one from my mother's grave, which my family had to replace because they never found who did it.

Police pulled over a man by the name of Michael Carroll for having a faulty brake light, and he was ultimately arrested on a variety of other charges--which wound up including the theft of gravesite vases, 33 of which they found in his vehicle.

Police later received a report from Cedar Memorial that a grand total of 118 of these vases had been stolen since June, at a total value of over $25,000.

They were eventually able to recover all but 13 of the vases and Carroll faces another charge of first-degree theft and up to 10 years in prison.